Why Quentin Tarantino Shot the Widest Format Film There Is

Photographers and filmmakers know the value of using wide angle lenses to soak up an impressive background.

But there’s wide and then there’s Panavision’s Ultra 70mm, the widest cinema format there is (aspect ratio: 2.76:1). It’s been used in only a handful of films, including some famous Hollywood epics like Ben Hur, and it’s been decades since anyone’s taken up the mantle of 70mm ultra-wide filmmaking.

That will change this winter with the release of Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, which is the first film since 1966 to be shot in Ultra Panavision 70.